The Moon Glows
by MauMaster
Summary: Twelve years ago, Remus' life went down the drain. Ten years later, he met Mimi and the bohos. His memories don't hurt so much as long as he doesn't let himself remember. But now he must face his past so he can let go, no matter how painful it is.


**Title: **The Moon Glows

**Summary: **_Twelve years have passed since Lily and James died. Remus wasn't ready to let go of them, nor of any of his new friends. But Mimi never let him get his own way._

**Just a Note:** Well, this is my first HP/RENT crossover, so I'd love to hear how you think. I hope I did well, but you're the judges of that :) Enjoy! I worked really hard on this, so if you like it, let me know. It would make me as happy as Mark and his camera.

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or RENT (I wouldn't mind owning Remus or Mark, of course... Roger will suffice, as well). Thank you, Jonathan Larson! And JK Rowling, I thank you as well.**

* * *

Rapid knocking on the door woke me from a light slumber. I tumbled off the shabby couch, clutching the letter I had received from Dumbledore tightly. He wanted me to be the DADA teacher… after almost twelve years of detaching myself from the Wizarding world, from England, he wanted me back.

I hadn't yet written my response. I was struggling to draft the letter in my mind. I didn't want to go back. I liked New York. I liked all the friends I had made here in the Alphabet City. Sure, it was a little difficult to hide my lycanthropy and my magical past, but it was worth it.

Mark, Roger, Joanne, Maureen, Collins, and Mimi were the most welcoming people I had ever met. I had been able to talk to them about so many things, and they understood. They understood death, they understood betrayal…

James would have loved New York. Sirius and him would have had a blast hanging out in Alphabet City, even though they could have afforded to be anywhere else. But Sirius was a bloody traitor and James was dead. James _couldn't_ enjoy this world anymore and Sirius didn't deserve to.

I knocked the _Daily Prophet_, my only connection to the Wizarding World besides my wand, under the couch uneasily. It would be a bad idea for anybody to see the moving picture of my convicted ex-best friend.

I strode the few steps from the couch to the door and flung it open, trying to flatten my hair. It was Mark, camera missing, looking strained and anxious.

"What's wrong?" I asked, stuffing the letter inside my pocket. It had the Hogwarts insignia on it and as much as I didn't like to hide from my friends, he couldn't see.

"Mimi is sick," Mark said, breathless, as if he had been running. Indeed, a sheen of sweat was apparent on his forehead and his hair flopped over his face. "Roger and Collins went with her to the hospital. She passed out. They sent me to tell you and the girls." He leaned over, hands on his knees, as he tried to breath.

"How did you get here?" I asked. "Did you _run_ all the way here?"

He shook his head. "Rode my bike to the girls," he gasped. "Crashed a few blocks away. It's a wreck."

"Your camera…?"

"The loft." Mark straightened up, still breathing heavily, but able to speak. "It's not a time to be filming, Remus."

I frowned. "I know _that_, but I've rarely seen you without it. Merlin, I was simply asking. Do you need water or to take a seat for a minute?"

Mark opened his mouth as if to refuse, but slumped his shoulders. "Both, please!"

I took him by the shoulder and led him to the couch before grabbing a glass and turning to the sink. It didn't produce water. I cussed under my breath. "Bloody hell, not again!" I muttered. "They turned off my water."

Mark shook his head. "It's okay, I'm fine." He certainly sounded much better. Mark jumped to his feet and stared at me solemnly. "You ready to go? The girls are already on their way."

I hesitated, leaning on the table. "How… how bad is it?"

Mark looked away, refusing to answer. I took that as "pretty bad".

"Mark, you go ahead…" I murmured. "I don't know if I can… see her like that."

His face turned hard. "Remus, you –"

"Have had three friends die within twenty four hours of each other," I said shortly. "Three _best_ friends." _Not to mention that the traitor is on the loose, probably out to kill Harry, my best friend's son that he never got around to… or me. Finish off the Marauders, you know?_

Mark rolled his eyes. "That was sudden. That was a car crash, you didn't have to watch it happen!"

"Well, why would I want to watch it this time, then?" I snapped, biting back a comment that gave away my lie. "Look, you've already been through this, so it's not as hard…"

"It's just as hard, Remus, goddammit! Come on, Mimi _needs_ to see you. She asked specifically for you when they were loading her into the ambulance.."

I sighed and took a breath. "I should have seen this coming. She was so pale the other day and she had such a cough. Merlin, I really should have seen this. I should have… I could have…" I swallowed thickly.

If I could get Mark out, I could maybe brew a potion, sneak it into the hospital, save her. But then again, I hadn't so much touched a cauldron in years. It's not like I was good at Potions, anyhow. I'd probably wind up imploding the building. I had barely held a wand in ages.

Mark was suddenly beside me, his hand on my arm. "There's nothing you can do," he murmured. "There was nothing we could do to save Angel, and there's nothing we can do about Mimi."

"She'll be okay, right?" I asked. "Roger went to the hospital this winter with _pneumonia_ and he was fine."

Mark rose his eyebrows and I sighed. That wasn't true. His lungs were so worn down and weak that he could barely breathe some mornings. He couldn't sing anymore and sometimes it was a struggle for him to talk. Roger's guitar was the only thing keeping him alive. The guitar and Mimi.

"Roger's very strong physically," he reminded me. "Mimi is very strong mentally and emotionally. But her body isn't exactly as strong as it needs to be."

"Merlin," I muttered, clutching the edge of the counter so tightly that my knuckles went white. A ghost of a smile flitted across Mark's lips.

"'Merlin'," he repeated. "I know you're British, but 'Merlin' has got to be the oddest phrase yet."

I shook my head. I had been slipping a lot more often ever since Dumbledore's letter arrived two weeks previous. If I was lucky, he would have already found a new teacher. Of course, I was never lucky.

Anyhow, my magical vocabulary kept slipping through. I had mentioned Galleons three times, at least, and I had almost told them about how me and my friends had exploded the Potions dungeons. I managed to cover it up by calling it this Muggle subject called 'chemistry' but I could have sworn that Mimi was smiling to herself.

"Let's just go," I mumbled, pulling myself away from Mark and heading for the door.

--

Roger was absolutely distraught. That much was obvious, as soon as I saw him. He looked worse than me on full moon, which was only a week away. His eyes were bloodshot and he was shaking visibly. Collins could barely hold him upright. His leather jacket that usually read _Well Hungarians_ was inside out, hanging off his now thin frame.

I remembered when I first met him and saw that jacket. The first thought that had come to my head was the Sirius would have _loved_ that jacket. He'd have killed for it. Then again, he killed for a lot of things…

They were sitting in the dreary waiting room. It was a sickly white and smelled of sterilized equipment, quite a change from the loft. Maureen and Joanne were bickering quietly as they paced together. They always reminded me of James and Lily.

Mark sat down next to Roger immediately. "How're you doing?"

"Fine." His voice was weak and his breathing was heavy despite the fact that he was simply sitting.

I sat on the other side of Mark and leaned over to see Roger. "Roger, don't lie to us."

He looked at me, trembling and opened his mouth as if to say something. He closed it quickly, unable to summon the energy.

"How are you doing?" Maureen said, stopping in front of us.

Roger simply shook his head, tears leaving wet trails down his cheeks.

"Not good, then," Collins spoke for him.

Joanne sat beside me, draping her arm around my shoulders. "How about you?" she asked. I shrugged. "No need to hide it, Remus. We all know that you're close to Mimi."

I almost laughed. I had a weird tendency to become very close to my friends' girlfriends. When Roger had punched me over a year before, accusing me of trying to steal his girlfriend, it hadn't been the first time I'd been in that position. James had done the same in seventh year.

"Oh, Remus," Maureen murmured quietly. "She wants to see you."

"W-what?" I stuttered. "How do you know?"

"We've already been in," Collins said. Roger looked absolutely pained. "She wanted to see you alone. Maybe you and Mark should go in, and then…"

"I don't know," I mumbled. "I'm not sure if I should be alone with her. Surely she'd rather be with Roger."

Roger shook his head and took a deep, deep breath. "She wants you, too, Remus."

Mark stood and motioned to me. "Would you like to go first, or should I?"

"You can go," I muttered. Mark looked at me for a moment, then nodded firmly.

"Okay," he whispered and followed a doctor down the too bright white halls.

I moved closer to Roger, taking Mark's old seat. Maureen took my old seat. Roger's guitar was set at his feet, ready for him to use whenever he stopped trembling.

Maureen was the first to speak. "So, what took you two so long to get here?"

"Mark crashed his bike, so he ran a bit," I explained. "Then he needed to catch his breath."

"He's not that out of shape, though," Collins pointed out.

"It took me a little while to get the courage to come," I admitted quietly. "And then we had to run halfway here until we gave in and got a cab. Mark may be fit, but I'm not..."

"Were you sick again?" Joanne asked, concerned.

"I haven't been feeling well, that's all."

"You haven't done drugs, have you?" Roger croaked. My eyes went wide and I instantly shook my head. "Had sex?" I shook my head. "You sure?" I nodded. "Are you a virgin?"

"No, Roger!" I said, laughing. "Jeez, only you would ask that sort of thing right now." I sobered up instantly. "Why do you ask?"

He shrugged. "Making sure you don't have AIDS, too."

"I don't," I said firmly and looked at Collins and Roger. Their immune systems were getting weaker by the minute, their lives ticking by. This was only the beginning of it all…

"Good." Roger sat back and closed his eyes in thought. "Hand me the guitar, someone." I bent down immediately and pressed it into his hands. He absently strummed on the strings, a familiar melody ringing through the dull waiting room. Several heads turned our way. Each striking note of "Your Eyes" vibrated through the air.

Your eyes… I closed mine and sat back as well, thinking. Dumbledore wanted me to teach, and if I was correct in my calculations, Harry was in school. I wondered idly if he remembered me, but pushed that thought away. He had her eyes, Lily's eyes. But everyone knew he'd grow up to look just like James.

That was one reason I couldn't go back. I couldn't see him, it would be like seeing James again. And that hurt much too much. It hurt to even think of him.

"Something wrong, Remus? Besides the obvious, of course," Collins asked gently. I opened my eyes, drawn out of my thoughts.

"Oh… the headmaster at my old school… he wants me to come back to England to teach," I said simply. "I got a letter a while ago. I'm just trying to figure out how to deny it politely."

"I can help you draft it," Joanne offered.

"Thanks," I said quietly.

Roger stopped playing as he turned to look at me. "I say screw polite. Just write back 'Fuck no, I'm not coming back to England! I've got the most amazing friends in New York and I'm not leaving them!' because, let's face it, I am pretty awesome."

"Deflate that ego and maybe I'll consider agreeing," I teased, but honestly considered those words. I would never actually send them, but it might be nice to write them… It was definitely the sort of thing that Padfoot would have said, before he turned into a bloody Death Eater.

The television in the corner stole my attention. "Sirius Black, an escaped convict, is potentially dangerous and may be armed. If spotted, please call the information hotline." Speak of the devil and Sirius shall appear… We used to say that even in school.

I groaned, turning from the TV. Maureen looked at it curiously.

"Hm," she pondered, biting her lip. "He looks like he used to be sort of hot." I rolled my eyes. Sirius would have been exactly her type. They would have cheated on each other without fail.

"Maureen!" Joanne snapped.

"Oh, Pookie, relax. I don't go for escaped convicts. Only convicts on probation. You know that."

Joanne rolled her eyes and groaned with me.

Mark emerged looked distressed. "She's about to fall asleep," he told me. Roger stiffened, alarmed. "Not for the last time, she promised," Mark assured him quickly. "The nurses won't let her sleep, really, anyhow. But Remus, she wants to see you now."

I couldn't stand. "Mark, I don't think that I –"

"You can. For Mimi."

I stood on shaky legs. "For Mimi," I repeated, my vision blurred, Mark adjusted his glasses and nodded.

"Good luck," he whispered and I stepped forward.

--

"Mimi?" I said quietly as I entered the room. She looked so tiny in the hospital bed. Mimi was always petite, but her personality, her strength, had never let her seem tiny. It looked like the blankets would swallow her any moment.

"Remy," she said and it sounded as if she were smiling. I looked at her face cautiously. She was sweating and her skin almost matched the white sheets, but she was smiling.

"I thought I told you to call me Remus, not Remy, about a week after I met you," I grumbled and sat into the recently vacated seat beside her bed. Mimi reached out and I took her hand. It was slick with sweat, but very, very cold.

"_I_ thought we agreed to not keep secrets," she retorted.

"I don't keep secrets," I said honestly. Except for the whole magic and werewolf stuff, I _didn't_.

She rolled her eyes and smirked knowingly. "Right, Mr. Magic."

"You're delirious," I said instantly.

"You can trust me, Remus. I know, I've known for ages. I was snooping around your apartment ages ago, remember? When Roger was here and I didn't want to go back to my building? Found a big trunk of magic-y stuff, I thought it was so cool." She grinned reassuringly. "I don't think you're a freak, really. And I haven't told anyone."

My heart was pounding so hard that I could hear it in my ears. Mimi squeezed my hand weakly and I felt tears leak out of my eyes. "Why didn't you tell me?"

She shrugged. "I thought you might get mad," she admitted softly. "And it was your secret to keep." She bit her lip. "Why do you go away every month?"

"To see family," I immediately answered, my knee jerk reaction. She frowned.

"Don't lie to me when I'm on my death bed," she chided.

"You're… you're not," I choked. "You're not, Mimi, don't _ever_ say that, because you're not."

"I am and I damn well know it. But I'm not going out without figuring for all your little secrets," she let me know. I clenched my mouth shut.

"Then I won't tell you anything else."

Mimi didn't say anything. I had obviously stumped her. Quietly, I traced pictures on her hand, like my mother had done to me when I was young and in the hospital for the bite. I always got so bored. She grinned. "My mama used to do that. A house?" she asked.

"Yes," I confirmed and tried to draw a new picture.

"I've got to go eventually, you know," she murmured and concentrated on this picture. "A broomstick. Do you ride a broomstick?"

"Yes. And no, I was never very good at flying. James was good, though. Captain of the Quidditch team."

"Is Quidditch like soccer? That's what you told us it was, except you told us he was football captain and we went on about quarterbacks and you were completely confused."

"I don't really know much about the sport," I admitted. "Either of them. But, Meems, you don't have to go now."

"Yes, I do. Cauldron?"

"No, a pot, for Merlin's sake. You're way too preoccupied with this magic thing. Why do you have to go?"

"A pot? Oh, come on, aren't they the same thing?" Mimi had closed her eyes. "You know that Sirius Black man, right? He did something bad to you and your friends, right? I saw stuff about him in your trunk."

"Yes, he did," I told her. "He betrayed me and my friends, he pretty much killed them. But stop distracting me. Why do you have to go now?"

"My time had been up for so long," she answered finally. "A full moon."

"A circle!"

"Sorry," she muttered. "I've always liked full moons, they're pretty."

I snorted. "Pretty. Right. What do you mean by that?"

"They're pretty," she said. "What else could it mean? I love to look at full moons."

"No, not by the moon, by 'my time has been up.' What do you mean?"

She giggled. "Oh. Well, you know when I met you, the night before Christmas Eve in the park?"

"Yes," I said slowly. I had found her, sick and half frozen, in the park, but she refused to come with me when I offered my apartment. I had finally resigned to letting her be. I saw it much too often ever since I had moved to the city.

"Yes, well, the next night, Maureen and Joanne found me and I was half dead by then. They brought me back to the loft and I almost died. But Angel told me to get my butt back on Earth and listen to Roger's song."

I smiled. "So, you're saying your time has been up for about two years, right?"

She shrugged. "Yes. Besides, I'd rather not get better."

"Why, Mimi?" I asked, frowning and dropping my tracing hand. "Are you unhappy? Depressed? Why do you want to leave us?"

"I'm happy," she said simply. "I want you to remember me when everything was all right, when everyone was happy. I want you to remember me when I was happy. Roger isn't happy. He can't sing, he can barely function. His lungs… his lungs are wrecked. His body is so weak that _I'm_ afraid to hug him. I don't want to go like that and neither does he. We spoke, Remus, and he agreed. He said that if it pleases me, he'll suck it up and deal." She paused. "Keep tracing."

I resumed my tracing quickly. "You're one of the best friends I've ever had," I told her. "You all are."

"You're one of the best friends I've ever had. You're like… like a brother. I love you."

"I love you, too, Meems."

We sat in silence for about ten seconds. "A crescent moon?"

"Man, you are obsessed with moons. A banana!" I laughed.

"Are you hungry or something? You should eat something."

"No. I lied, it was a crescent moon," I admitted. "I just didn't want you to be right. Are you hungry?"

"No, not at all," she said, looking very peaceful.

"Is it the end yet?" I asked hesitantly, unsure. Her muscles tensed as she squeezed my hand. I didn't even feel the pressure.

"Not yet," she whispered. "Get the others, please."

"Of course." I pushed back the chair and stood, her hand still clinging to mine. "You might want to let go."

Mimi's eyes opened suddenly and the brown orbs stared me down. "Wait." I held my breath, as she tried to word her question. "What are you? Where do you go every month? I was scared… I was worried that you would be gone tonight. And you're always so hurt after. I was scared that it was soon. Is it?"

"Not for another week," I said soothingly, though I was panicking inside. Should I tell her? I had to… and what was the harm? She _had_ promised to pull everything out of me, hadn't she? There was just one thing I had to do before. "And… whatever it is, do you promise not to get scared?"

"I kicked a drug dealer about three times my size and weight in the balls once," she told me confidently, but weakly. "I'm not scared of you."

I bent over to her ear and whispered, sweating buckets but sure that I could trust her. I had always been able to trust Mimi. "I'm a werewolf."

"Bloody hell, that's awesome," she whispered back.

"No, not really," I said grimly. "And quit trying to cuss like a Brit, you sound ridiculous."

"For Merlin's sake, is that how you speak to a sick girl?"

"Stop trying to sound like a witch, too," I laughed and sighed. "I'll get the others. You sure you're not freaked?"

"Positive." Mimi loosened her grip and I slipped out of the room.

--

Three days later (and four days from full moon, a fact that Mimi constantly pointed out when she thought the others were out of earshot), Mimi had gotten increasingly worse and as a result, so did Roger. He sat beside her bed, afraid to sleep for fear that if he did, she would be gone by the time he awoke. We had to basically force food down his throat.

I was reminded cruelly of the days after Lily and James died. I just felt numb, all over. I couldn't believe it. I had sat in the little rented apartment that I shared with Sirius before he went traitor, simply staring at a wall. I stayed like that for an entire week, sparsely eating or sleeping. Just… staring. Just numb.

Madam Pomphrey eventually barged through the door and forced me to eat and sleep a bit. Once I did that, my head was clear and so was what I needed to do. I left England after the next full moon, basically locked up my wand (except for full moons, when I had to use sealing charms to lock myself in, to keep the noise from escaping, and to heal myself), and never looked back.

There was a difference, though. Roger didn't go numb. He felt the pain completely. His body was shaking with the intensity of the pain. Everyone's was. Including mine. For once, I didn't disengage. I let the emotions seep through.

I wasn't just mourning for Mimi's impending departure (I couldn't think the other word). I was mourning for my friends, my family, all those that had died in the war that I hadn't allowed myself to grieve for. Including Sirius, because the Sirius on the television certainly wasn't the one I knew. The Sirius I knew, Padfoot, was clearly and honestly dead.

On the fifth day, everyone fell asleep, one by one. Mimi and I stayed awake, not speaking, but soaking in each others' presence. I held her hand again as she clutched Roger's with the other for dear life. I traced pictures on her hand again and again and her answers varied widely, from the most creative ideas I'd ever heard to the simplest.

"Television," she murmured as I drew an ice cube. "A television with information of Sirius Black."

"Sure," I agreed. Everyone slept on.

"A flower."

"Yes," I lied. I had been simply drawing swirls, my brain wracked for new ideas after so many hours of this incessant game. Besides Roger, it was the only thing that kept her from screaming out in boredom.

"You admitting that you're a freaking liar and that you're just agreeing with my answers because I'm dying," Mimi whispered.

I laughed softly. "Well, that's not what I'm drawing, but if that's what you want me to admit, sure, fine…"

She smiled slightly. "Roger told me about the letter from your old school. What was the name?" Mimi's voice was so weak that I had to strain my ears to hear it.

"Hogwarts," I told her. "Do you have any ideas for what I should write in my rejection? Somehow, I don't think that the Headmaster – one of the most powerful wizards in Britain – would appreciate a former pupil that he certainly didn't need to enroll telling him 'Fuck no' which was Roger's idea."

She shook her head, eyes closed. "No, that's not a good idea. I think you should take it."

"What?" I asked, surprised. "Why? Meems, I can't go back there. You don't understand…"

"Sometimes, going back to places that hurt is for the best," she whispered. "It worked with Angel."

I stopped tracing and settled in for an Angel story. I had never met him, but the stories fascinated me just as stories of the Marauders fascinated the rest.

"I met Angel in an alleyway somewhere," she whispered, smiling. "A guy was stalking me and she realized. He had me cornered and all of a sudden _smack!_ And she was there. He have gotten a concussion or something. Angel stood behind him, with a fist. So, then he starting bugging her. And she said…" Mimi laughed softly. "She said 'I'm more of a man then you'll ever be. And more of a woman then you'll ever get.' Then she punched him again and he ran off. I was somewhere between hysterically laughing and crying. So, she helped me get up and said, 'I'm Angel. Wanna go get something to eat?' I let her drag me to the Life Café and we talked and bonded over veggie burgers. She forgot my name, so the next time I saw her – she passed my apartment and I was on the fire escape – Angel yelled up and said, 'Hey, girl with the great nail polish! It's me, Angel!' We used to love nail polish…" Mimi giggled and sighed. "Angel was my best friend. But I couldn't do so many things after… I couldn't go to the Life Café – not that the host minded much, he hated us all, we caused chaos, which, of course you know."

"He won't let me in when I'm _alone_," I said. "Simply because he caught me with you all. It's like being back in the Wizarding world. Stupid prejudices…"

"Exactly. But then, Roger convinced me to go and I was bombarded by so many memories… Angel and I had danced on the tables, singing about beer and yoga and yogurt and everything. But it helped in the end. It hurt, but it helped. You ever break a bone?" Mimi opened her eyes and stared at me with curiosity.

"Several," I muttered bitterly. "Hazard of being me."

"Well, it hurts like hell when they set it, but then it feels so much better, right? That's what it is. And, trust me, going back to going to hurt a lot for you. It's been a while. But in the end, it'll be worth it." Mimi closed her eyes again. She was flushed and breathing heavily.

"Mimi, don't talk anymore," I urged. "It's a strain. Please, don't strain yourself."

"Let me finish. I think you should tell the others. About magic. About all of it."

I frowned. "Magic?" I scowled. "Magic… I don't believe in magic anymore."

"You're a wizard, Remus. You have to believe in it."

"I can't. How could there be magic in the world when people like you, people like James and Lily, die left and right?"

"How could there not be magic in the world when people like you, and Roger, and Collins, and Maureen, and Joanne, and Mark are always going to be there? Tell them. They deserve that much."

"Mimi, I –"

"Please do it. For me. I'll tell them, if you'd like."

I paused. "Yes," I finally whispered. Her head had lolled and I thought for a moment that she was asleep. I continued anyhow. "Yes, if you'd like to tell them."

She smiled. "Thank you," she whispered. "Oh and if you ever meet your friend Sirius again, kick him in the balls for me for ruining your life, 'kay?" She smiled slightly. "Then hug him, 'cos if it weren't for him ruining your life, I never would have gained another great friend..."

And then I was the only one awake.

--

"Remus?" Collins shook me roughly. "Remus, wake up."

My body ached and I felt sore all over. "No," I mumbled. "Five more minutes."

"God, can you do that?" Maureen asked. "You know, freeze everything and get five more minutes of sleep? I'd love you for life if you could do that."

My eyes snapped open at her words. Everyone was smiling unsurely at me. "She told you?" I asked. They nodded. "While I was _asleep_? Great, reveal my life secrets while I'm out cold!" I twisted around to look where I was.

I had slept upright in a plastic chair. No wonder I was so sore. Plus, full moon was so close…

"Did anyone have any mind to move me? I dunno, maybe to the floor? That has got to be more comfortable than this thing. I think I need to stand up." My muscles groaned in protest as I tried to lift myself. "Unfortunately, that doesn't seem possible."

Light laughter went throughout the room and I was surprised to hear Mimi join in.

"Just so you know," Roger said sternly. "Forget what I said before. There is no way in hell I'm not sending you back to this Pigpimples school, whatever it was called. You gotta write us and tell us all about it. And could you, I dunno, go make a stop at Benny's on full moon?"

"Hogwarts," I corrected. "And I really don't –"

Mimi squeezed my hand. _Go_, she mouthed.

I changed the direction of my statement. "And I really don't think that telling you about magic is a good idea," I finished. "After all, once you've been exposed to Wizarding pranks, you'll never go back."

"That sounds effing awesome," Roger breathed in awe. Mimi giggled.

"So, you guys aren't freaked?" I asked uncertainly. "About the whole, you know, full moon monster thing?"

Joanne shook her head. "We've had weirder situations. Besides, we're glad it's only this. For a while… well, for a while, you had us thinking that you were shooting up or something. And that the dealer was beating you up every month."

"If pain medication could be considered 'shooting up', I most definitely am," I told them. "What –"

"Tomorrow night," Mimi whispered. "I've been… keeping track for you. And… I won't leave then. I want you… here… with us… where you should be."

"Thanks," I whispered, my vision suddenly blurry. "All of you. For not, you know, running and screaming."

"I think running is a bit out of the question for Roger and Mimi," Mark pointed out. "As well as the screaming part. Rog, you're breathing heavy. You need my inhaler or something?"

Roger rolled his eyes. He hated being reminded of this stupid predicament. "Hand me my guitar, you geek. And fix your glasses, they're crooked."

Mark did as told, though he glared at the glasses part.

Roger strummed the strings as Mimi looked at him with adoration. She had finally let my hand go slack and was clinging onto Roger's sleeve desperately. We could hear her gasps and the heart monitor was slowing ever so slightly. The beeps came further apart.

We all exchanged looks. We didn't have much time. An hour, tops, we would give it. Maureen collapsed into Joanne's arms with a sob and I buried my face in my hands, though it was impossible to hide the tear streaked trail on my face. Collins's hands, which were still on my shoulders, trembled, and I could hear him crying as well. I didn't bother to look towards Mark. It was more than obvious that he had joined in.

"Your eyes," Roger choked out. "As we said our goodbyes. Can't get them out of my mind."

I swallowed thickly and looked up, concerned. His voice was weaker than ever. Singing took so much energy on his part, on his lungs. But he plowed on, determined to finish.

"Now before this song dies!" Roger had tears in his eyes and Mark's ever faithful camera was suddenly present. I felt myself about to snap. _This isn't the time for cameras!_ But no… it was. We needed to preserve the moment. Forever. "I should tell you, I should tell you, I have always loved you. You can see it in my ey –" Roger couldn't finish the word. He gasped and choked and dropped the instrument, but took Mimi's hand and wouldn't let go.

"I should tell you, I should tell you, I have always loved you," Mimi repeated, barely a whisper. "You can see it in my eyes… Roger..." She looked around the room once more, her eyes closing. "I… love you all. I'll say… hi to Angel for you." Her gaze ended on Roger and locked there. "Love you."

"I – love - you," he forced out, each word a struggle between his tears and breathing.

Her head fell onto the pillow. Her eyes closed completely. Her grip on Roger loosened. Her chest stopped moving. And then, all noise in the room – in the world, it seemed – stopped. The whirring of machines halted.

"It's over," Roger choked.

She was gone. On July 13th, 1993 at 5:23 PM (Eastern Standard Time, Mark would have added if he had been in the proper state), Mimi Marquez was gone.

Nurses came in and doctors rushed around the room, but we already knew there was no way to revive her. They had their miracle. It wasn't happening again. And that's what hurt the most.

--

I got home early the next morning, almost too sore and achy to move. I whipped out my wand from under the mattress, quickly cast all the charms I need to, locked the door, and undressed, collapsing on the bed. It didn't matter that it wasn't even noon. I wasn't planning on doing anything except cry and transform. If I hadn't been so tired, I might have dug out some Ogden's from my trunk, but I had a feeling that a drunk transformation wouldn't be fun.

Actually, I knew. James, Sirius, and Peter had convinced me to try it a month before the Potters went into hiding and Lily gave us hell for it. Not to mention the enormous hangover I got and the fact that a staggering wolf is a very bruised wolf.

The transformation that night was worse than normal. I couldn't remember it, which was usually a good indicator. If I couldn't recall an inkling, it meant that it had been an absolutely horrible night. And then the pain kicked in and that confirmed it. Eventually, I managed to open my eyes and assess the damage to the room.

Most people assumed that when I had a bad full moon, it meant that I destroyed the area around me. In actuality, a bad full moon meant that the destroying was kept to a minimum since the only thing that the wolf pursued was itself.

Groaning and bleeding from several wounds, I sat up and grabbed a pair of ratty jean shorts and a black shirt. Mimi disapproved of my simple wardrobe as a whole, but the jeans she always said dramatically, "I can live with".

She couldn't live with anything anymore.

I ran my wand over myself, fixing all major scrapes and leaving the more minor ones to heal on their own. Then I undid all the charms and hesitantly stuck the wand in my back pocket. After all, if I was going to go back to the Wizarding world, I certainly needed to get used to magic again. I sighed. I really didn't think I was ready.

I scooped up the shredded sheets that I must have gotten my paws on the night before and a broken lamp. I never had a shortage of lamps in this tiny room. It was filled to the brim. I only had one window in the apartment and it was not in here.

Slowly, aching and tired, I made my way to the door. I needed to get down to the Dumpster, throw this stuff out, call the guys, and then go sleep. Oh, and if I found the energy, write back to Dumbledore and wait for the owl he sent every other damn day. If I hadn't needed to call the gang, I probably would have waited to throw out the objects. But, hey, as long as I was downstairs by the pay phone…

I groaned and almost collapsed at the thought of the many, many flights of stairs. Perhaps I should cheat and Apparate… Yes, that sounded very good. But when I removed my wand from my pocket again, my hand was shaking. Seeing as Splinching myself sounded truly horrible, especially now, I put it back away and flung open the door.

Mark came falling in backwards with a yelp. I jumped back.

"Crap, you're up!" he shouted and scrambled to his feet. "We were gonna come in to help you when you woke up, but… you have already done that, it seems."

"Yes, but… how long have you been out here? And – wait a second, 'we'?"

Mark nodded and pulled me into the hallway. Everyone was sitting on the floor. Collins was supporting Roger's sleeping form opposite us. Maureen and Joanne were clutching hands beside them.

Collins smiled through a teary mask at me. "Hey," he said. "Mind some company?"

I stood back, tossing the lamp and sheets to the side. "Come in. Wait, I'll go fix the bed, Roger can sleep there."

I moved as quickly and swiftly as I could back to the bedroom, throwing some blankets and pillows back on the bed. Roger would be fine without sheets, right?

Collins walked in and set the man gently on the bed, covering him with the blankets gingerly. Roger looked less like a man and more like a boy when he slept. There was some sort of vulnerability that I didn't even see in the hospital.

Collins grabbed a cushion from the couch and settled himself on the floor. Maureen and Joanne bit their lips and slumped down beside him. Mark sat on the bed beside Roger, watching him intently, as though he was afraid that he wouldn't wake up either.

"I'll, um, I'll go make some coffee or something. Is anyone hungry? I think we're supposed to eat or something. I mean, I'm not really hungry, but that's because I'm still trying to remember what the hell happened last night and because my back is _killing_ me since a wand only goes as far as the arm, you know? Collins, you should probably eat or drink something, and um, well –"

"Remus, sit down," Joanne said and stood. "You're exhausted, you need to rest. Sit down. Is anybody hungry?"

Everyone shook their heads as I slumped down next to the wall. Joanne nodded. "Okay, then," she murmured. "Does anybody want to, you know, talk? Like we did after Angel? Or well, much later after Angel, after Mimi came home. But I'd rather not wait until we find someone else half dead again."

Maureen smiled and curled into a small ball. "I'd like that. Collins? Mark? Remus?"

"Sounds good to me," Collins whispered.

"Mimi would have been babbling up a storm by now," Mark grinned.

I paused and cleared my raw throat. "Can we wait for Roger?"

"Mimi," Roger's form moaned and rolled over. His eyes fluttered open. "Mimi?" When he didn't see her, he let out a shout that made us all gasp. I had to restrain myself from covering my ears. It was a horrible, horrible yell, made only by someone who had very little left to lose. I had heard it often before, during the war and after. I had made it myself a few times.

"We're here, Roger," Mark assured him. "We're here."

The several lights flickered out.

"But the power is evidently not," I sighed. "Joanne, would you go get the matches? Oh, wait, never mind. Here, experience some magic. _Accio candles. Accio matches."_ Said objects came zooming into the room, clonking me on the head. I yelped in pain. Everyone (even Roger) laughed. "Bit out of practice at that."

"Just a bit," Maureen teased as Joanne came to sit beside her once more. I heard Roger sat up, bleary and a bit confused.

"How did we get here?" he asked in a raspy voice.

Mark answered him. "We slept in the hallway, remember? We wanted to be here in the morning for Remus after he…"

"Turned back into a human?" I offered. "Stopped being a werewolf?"

"That works," Mark shrugged. "So, Remus opened the door and saw us and ushered us in, the gracious host as usual, even when he's probably about to fall asleep."

Roger grinned as I tried repeatedly to light the candle. I couldn't keep my hands steady enough.

"Arg!" I almost dropped the match as fire licked my fingers. "That was my last match!"

"Our eyes'll adjust," Roger shrugged and froze. "Mimi said that," he whispered. "And then she practically tried to sit on my lap. Granted, it was for the smack she dropped and I found, but… god." His cheeks had been dry when he began speaking. Obviously this was not so for any of us by now.

Silence fell over us.

"I don't have to be back at Hogwarts until September 1st," I told them. "So, I'll stay until the end of August and just take the train to school. I need to figure out lesson plans, though… Merlin, I can't teach, I've never taught!"

"Did you tutor?" Joanne asked.

"I was the _tutored_. I missed lessons all the time because of full moon."

"I can help," Collins said and I nodded in thanks, in the darkness.

"It's like a nightmare that I haven't woken from, yet," Roger whispered into the shadows.

"That's my life," I murmured.

"Ours, too," everyone chanted.

Nothing more was needed to be said.

* * *

_July 15th, 1993_

_Dear Professor Dumbledore,_

_I apologize for the delayed response. If the Defense Against the Dark Arts position has not yet been filled, I do accept. I plan to travel to the school on September 1st, on the Hogwarts Express._

_On a more personal and unrelated note, I'd like to ask a question concerning medical care. Despite the amount of time I spent at St. Mungo's as a child, I know very little of medicine. There is a Muggle disease called AIDS. Is there possibly a cure in the Wizarding World? I have just lost one close friend to it and two more are nearing the end. I don't know if they will even want to be cured, considering they've both lost their loves. But if the option is there, I'd like to know. I couldn't save Lily and James and Peter. I couldn't save Mimi. But I'd like very much to try and save Roger and Collins._

_Thank you,_

_Sincerely,_

_Remus Lupin_

* * *

_July 20, 1993_

_Dear Mr. Lupin,_

_I am delighted that you have chosen to return to Hogwarts, though I send my condolences to you and your friends for your loss. _

_I have looked into it, and though there is not a cure in the Wizarding world for AIDS (which, in fact, is not just a Muggle disease), there is a treatment that allows the person to live much longer than the AZT medication does. If you would wish, it may be a good idea to let your friends know of this and bring them to St. Mungo's or an American hospital. I believe that there is one in upstate New York. The treatment is said to work on Muggles and wizards alike. Directions for the American hospital is on the back, if needed._

_I feel the need to inform you that, once at Hogwarts, you will be one hundred percent safe from Sirius Black. Dementors are currently on their way to the school to guard the grounds. But, I heed warning, for the Ministry would like to simply ask a few questions about Black. They are somehow aware that you two shared a dormitory, a flat, and several friends._

_Thank you very much for agreeing to fill this post. It has been most difficult as of late, considering ever since Harry Potter began attending Hogwarts, horrible fates land with the teachers. Not to worry, I'm sure you'll be immune to this. If I remember correctly, Potters do seem to like you._

_Hopefully, the owl hasn't tired on his long trip to you and still has the bag of lemon drops. I'm sure your friends will enjoy sharing them with you._

_Sincerely,_

_Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore_

* * *

I looked up at my friends as I read the letter out loud. It had only been a week since Mimi left us, but we were faring slightly better. Even Roger was managing to cope.

"He sent lemon drops?" Roger asked as I concluded. Everyone else remained in stunned silence, most likely from the owl that was perched on my shoulder.

I tossed him the bag. "Here, have them. I never liked them very much. They're not chocolate."

"Thanks, dude!" Roger laughed and popped one in his mouth. Even the simplest of things could make him happy, even if for but a moment. "These are the most amazing fucking candy in the world."

I snorted and sat cross-legged on the floor. "You've never been to Honeydukes, then."

Maureen and Roger wrestled over the bag of sweets for a few moments, finally settling to keep it between them when Roger found himself gasping for breath by the playful notion. Joanne watched me with a frown while Collins and Mark were ecstatic.

"Another kind of treatment?" Collins asked. "Damn, that would be great. Would it work on non-magical people?"

"Yes, he said it works on Muggles," I said, peering at the letter again. "What do you say? Come with me to England?"

"I _have_ always wanted to see the world," Joanne sighed. "But wait a moment. If there's a better treatment, why isn't it offered outside of this Wizarding world?"

"It probably involves magic," I shrugged. "We have laws against that sort of thing. I sort of broke it by telling you, but since it's legal to tell family and I consider you guys my family, I'm hoping I can fudge it a bit and get away with it. If all else fails, Mimi figured it out on her own and _she_ told you, not me. I'd still get in trouble for having magical things that she could access, but it's better than the consequences for telling, you know?"

"What's so bad about letting the world know about magic?" Mark asked.

"Two words. Witch burnings."

"Ah."

"But those times are way past," Collins argued. "And if magic can fix AIDS –"

"It can't!" I interrupted. "It fixes it just as much as AZT, only it works for longer. Magic can't fix everything and that's the problem right there. People would want us to fix all the world's problems when we simply can't. Besides, there are people that would probably reinstate the witch killings. Lily's sister comes to mind. I'm sure that Benny wouldn't mind either." I had never been friends with Benny, but I spent enough time around the loft to be harrassed for their rent.

"He's got a point, right there," Maureen sighed, eating another lemon drop.

"Who's got a point?" Roger asked. He had been enthralled in the candy.

"Roger, do you want to try out these treatments?" Collins asked.

"Yeah, sounds cool. Do you think they could at least fix my lungs? 'Cos I really miss being able to sing. I mean, sure, guitar is cool, but you can't be an awesome band guy unless you have the looks, the instrument, and the voice. And the girl." His voice cracked. "Mimi loved being the band guy's girlfriend. It scared off all the other men, even at the Catstratch. I fought with the Man for her once, before we were even dating.

"I don't know what they can do," I admitted, changing the subject as quickly as I could. "So, upstate New York or England?"

"Where is the upstate New York one?" Joanne asked. I flipped over the parchment and let a small grin flit across my face.

"Scarsdale," I snorted.

"Oh, no," Mark groaned. "We're not going back there, are we?"

We all exchanged a look. "Yes," Collins decided. "We can't afford to go to London."

"Well, I'm not going to Scarsdale," I added. "Back to bloody England. I need to start to pack and dig out my old robes. I don't fancy returning only to be taunted for wearing Muggle clothes. I'll probably be taunted for having shabby, worn robes, but that's okay."

"Promise to write to us?" Maureen pouted.

"Of course. And you can come visit. And I can come visit. If something happens, I _will_ come visit," I promised.

I sat back and sighed. Wherever Mimi and their friend Angel were in heaven, I was positive that they were having a blast. And if James, Lily, and Peter were involved, I was sort afraid of what I'd find when I joined them. Everything would be in ruins soon enough.

But isn't that how it was when they were alive, too?

_The moon glows_

_The river flows_

_But I die without you._

* * *

AN: Thanks for reading! Feedback would be amazing. I'd love to know how well you think I did with meshing the two universes togther, along with anything else you'd like to point out or mention. Comments on my characterization would be welcome, as well. Thank you, I really appreciate it! I'm thinking about writing a followup oneshot as well, but I'm in the planning stages right now, just throwing around ideas. One thing I'm sure of it that it will have Sirius in it. Another thing I'm sure of is that the bohos will be taking a look at the Wizarding World, just like Remus got a taste of the Muggle one.


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